On April 10, 1984, the US Senate formally condemned the mining of the harbor of Nicaragua. As part of their effort to assist the Contras, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) placed explosive mines in the Nicaraguan harbor in a covert operation, without permission from the US government. (As a certain former Texas Governor would say, Oops!) Nicaragua sued the US in the World Court, and in June 1986 the World Court ruled that the US was guilty of violating international law.